Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Estonia

10/28/2021 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/28/2021 09:54

Cooperation between the UN and the African Union is crucial for conflict prevention in Africa

Today 28 October, a high-level virtual meeting was held at the UN Security Council on the cooperation between the UN and the African Union, chaired by the President of Kenya Uhuru Kenyatta. Andres Rundu, the Undersecretary for Economic and Development Affairs, represented Estonia.

Estonia emphasised the need to find ways of deepening cooperation between the UN and the African Union, particularly in conflict prevention. "The protection of human rights, increasing the influence of women and young people and fighting climate change must be the shared priorities of the UN and the African Union - this is the only way of ensuring lasting peace and security in Africa and building sustainable societies. More efforts should be made in all these areas," Undersecretary Rundu stressed.

Fragile rule of law and weak institutions are the main reason preventing the protection of human rights. "The UN and the African Union should work together to build accountability for serious violations," Rundu added.

The undersecretary also highlighted Estonia's participation in various missions in the Sahel region and recognised the growing role of the African Union and other regional organisations in peacekeeping in Africa.

Estonia's bilateral contacts with African countries have increased considerably in the past decade. In addition to contributing to the security of Africa, Estonia considers digital and green transformation its main cooperation areas.

Additional information:

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia
Communication Department
[email protected]